Kurt Vile: b'lieve I'm goin (deep) down (Matador)

Graham Reid | Sep 25, 2015 | <1 min read

Kurt Vile: Life Like This

Vile's previous Wakin on a Pretty Daze
captured an audience for its benign tripped-out vibe and although
this isn't as strong he should consolidate his fanbase with these
slightly ambling, sometimes downbeat songs which also have flashes of
humour (check Dust Bunnies) and the accomplished diversity.

Some of these songs are self-indulgent or lyrically shallow: The stoner opener Pretty Pimpin is an extremely unpromising way to start proceedings and the banjo-colored I'm an Outlaw which follows contains a wry comment but is not a great improvement.

He
further explores finger-picking folk (the drawling That's Life
tho, Stand Inside, All in a Daze Work) and
off-kilter ballads (Life Like This).

The weariness here means
this won't grip immediately.

Not his finest outing but as he says on Wild Imagination at the very end,
which sounds like a demo, “Give it some time”.

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